Quick Tip: The Kentico NuGet Packages
The toughest part of any software company is getting people to use your code, your product, or your platform. That’s why so many companies rely on distribution methods like NuGet and APIs to get their code in the hands of developers. Because of its popularity (and because it’s so easy to use), Kentico leverages the NuGet framework to expose a number of packages to the community. In this article, I’ll explain these packages and let you know how and when you may want to use them within your projects.
One of the best parts of developing with Kentico is its flexibility. While the platform has a lot of functionality right out of the box, most Kentico projects require complex architecture and integration to meet business needs. To assist the community with these scenarios, Kentico offers a number of NuGet packages to provide functionality for working with Kentico within your applications.
Here is a list of NuGet packages you can leverage within your projects:
Kentico.Libraries
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/Kentico.Libraries/
Description
This package contains all of the core Kentico API libraries. These provide the functionality to work with the DataEngine, SiteProvider, DocumentHelper, and many other areas of Kentico—pretty much everything!
Dependencies
Use Cases
- Any project that you wanted to leverage Kentico functionality
- Typically used in Kentico MVC applications
Kentico.LanguagePack.English
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/Kentico.LanguagePack.English/
Description
This package contains the resource string and settings to localize Kentico to English. This includes setting keys, descriptions, labels, and messages.
Dependencies
Use Case
- Any project where you want to leverage Kentico settings and the resources string within your application and want to display them in English
Kentico.Web.MVC
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/Kentico.Web.Mvc/
Description
This package contains the core MVC functionality to run Kentico applications within MVC projects.
Dependencies
- Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc (>= 5.2.3)
- Kentico.Libraries (>= 9.0.0 && < 10.0.0)
- Kentico.LanguagePack.English (>= 9.0.0 && < 10.0.0)
Use Case
- Any MVC project that will display content and data from Kentico
- Typically used in Kentico MVC applications
Kentico.Newsletters
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/Kentico.Newsletters/
Description
This package contains the functionality required to leverage the Newsletter API functionality. This includes subscriptions, issues, and email sending.
Dependencies
- Kentico.Libraries (>= 9.0.0)
Use Case
- Any project where Kentico Newsletter functionality is required
- Typically used in Kentico MVC applications
Kentico.Search
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/Kentico.Search/
Description
This package has the functionality required to utilize the Kentico Search API. This includes searching against Kentico Smart Search indexes.
Dependencies
- Kentico.Libraries (>= 9.0.0 && < 10.0.0)
Use Case
- Any project where Kentico Search functionality is required
- Typically used in Kentico MVC applications
Kentico.Glimpse
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/Kentico.Glimpse/
Description
This package contains the Glimpse API within a Kentico environment. This implementation has been customized and configured to work properly with the Kentico platform.
Dependencies
- Kentico.Libraries (>= 9.0.0)
- Glimpse (>= 1.8.6)
Use Case
- Typically used in Kentico MVC applications
Kentico Draft Integration
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/KenticoDraftIntegration/
Description
This package contains the files and configuration for the Kentico Draft import module for Kentico Version 9. This is used to import data from Kentico Draft to a Kentico 9 instance.
Dependencies
- .NETFramework 4.0
- RestSharp (>= 105.2.3)
Use Case
- Any Kentico 9 project where you need to import content created within Kentico Draft
Kentico Draft Integration for Kentico 8.2
Package URL
https://www.nuget.org/packages/KenticoDraftIntegration82/
Description
This package contains the files and configuration for the Kentico Draft import module for Kentico Version 8.2. This is used to import data from Kentico Draft to a Kentico 8.2 instance.
Dependencies
- .NETFramework 4.0
- RestSharp (>= 105.2.3)
Use Case
- Any Kentico 8.2 project where you need to import content created within Kentico Draft
Moving Forward
Hopefully, this blog gives you a better understanding of the available NuGet packages for increasing functionality within your projects. The packages are updated weekly with each hotfix. Also, many of these will be updated with new features and functionality with the release of Kentico 10 later this year. I encourage you to check them out and maybe give them a try in your next project. Good luck!